BaronWR's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=BaronWR2012-02-04T15:17:44ZMorgellons (thing)http://everything2.com/user/BaronWR/writeups/MorgellonsBaronWRhttp://everything2.com/user/BaronWR2012-02-04T15:17:44Z2012-02-04T15:17:44Z<em><p><strong>If you are particularly squeamish, or prone to bouts of hypochondria, you may wish to stop reading this article here. You have been warned.</strong></em>
<em> <p>It's nothing at first: maybe an insect bite, or irritation from a different brand of laundry detergent. You ignore it, maybe scratch a bit, but try to put it out of your mind. Initially, it works. But the itch keeps coming back. And you keep wondering what causes it: ticks? Bedbugs? But you don't find anything. And it keeps getting worse.</p>
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By now, there's an obvious rash where it itches, so you're convinced that there's a definite cause. You go to the doctor, but he seems unconcerned: he prescribes you a topical cream and warns you not to scratch it further, but no more. By this point you're in constant irritation from the rash, and can't stop scratching. It feels like there's something living under your skin, and the rashes are starting to turn into lesions. The irritation and pain is affecting your sleep, and the</em>&hellip;You've been a Noder how long? A Completely Token E2versary Pretext for a London Britnoder Picnic (event)http://everything2.com/user/BaronWR/writeups/You%2527ve+been+a+Noder+how+long%253F+A+Completely+Token+E2versary+Pretext+for+a+London+Britnoder+PicnicBaronWRhttp://everything2.com/user/BaronWR2011-04-18T21:20:38Z2011-04-18T21:20:38Z<p align="center"><big><strong>You've been a Noder how long? A Completely Token E2versary Pretext for a London Britnoder Picnic</strong></big></p>
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<p>The Britnoders has been very quiet of late, in fact, I was shocked to discover that we didn't actually have a nodermeet for the whole of last year. This is obviously a scandalous state of affairs, and must be rectified immediately. Therefore, I'm using the flimsiest of pretexts as an excuse to arrange a nodermeet: my E2 ten-year anniversary. Those who don't like that should consider it a patriotic celebration of the <a href="/title/Queen">Queen</a>'s 85th birthday: this will almost certainly be used as an excuse for a toast at some stage in the evening. It's not going to be a complicated meet: I'm going to pray for good weather and plan for a picnic.</p>
<p><strong>The Plan</strong></p>
<p><strong>Date: 11th June 2011, from 2pm</strong></p>
<p><strong>Location: <a href="/title/Hyde+Park">Hyde Park</a>, <a href="/title/London">London</a>, <a href="/title/The+United+Kingdom+of+Great+Britain+and+Northern+Ireland">The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland</a></strong></p>
<p>We&hellip;How many bits are in the human genome? (essay)http://everything2.com/user/BaronWR/writeups/How+many+bits+are+in+the+human+genome%253FBaronWRhttp://everything2.com/user/BaronWR2011-02-22T11:38:56Z2011-02-22T11:38:56Z<p>So, there's a simple answer, and then a series of more complicated ones:</p>
<p><strong>The easy option</strong></p>
<p>You can download the most recent assembly of the human genome from <a href="http://hgdownload.cse.ucsc.edu/goldenPath/hg19/bigZips/hg19.2bit">here</a>. It's in minimal 2bit format (ie. each <a href="/title/base+pair">base pair</a> is encoded as two bits), so it's pretty close to pure <a href="/title/genetic+code">genetic code</a>, and comes in at 778 MB, or about <strong>6526337024</strong> bits. </p>
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<p align="center"><big><big><strong>Problem solved</strong></big></big></p>
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<p><strong>But it's not that simple</strong></p>
<p>Of course, that would make for a very boring write-up: the truth is that it's rather more complicated. For a start, the human genome assembly is not actually complete: there's large chunks of highly repetitive DNA sequence that it doesn't include, such as the <a href="/title/telomere">telomere</a> sequences at the end of <a href="/title/chromosome">chromosomes</a>, because it's hard to sequence repetitive sequences accurately and we know what the&hellip;Spelunky (review)http://everything2.com/user/BaronWR/writeups/SpelunkyBaronWRhttp://everything2.com/user/BaronWR2009-02-26T23:36:25Z2009-02-26T23:36:25Z<p align="center"><em>As I recall my father's last words<br>
As I dismounted my camel<br>
That's when it all started.</em></p>
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<p align="justify">Spelunky is a free <a href="/title/indie">indie</a> game that takes the random level generation, permanent death and complex item interactions found in games like <a href="/title/Nethack">Nethack</a> and applies them to a 2D platformer. The result is brilliant, addictive, and mind-breakingly hard.<p>
<p align="justify">You control a character with a distinct resemblance to a certain <a href="/title/Indiana+Jones">archeologist</a>, trying to get to the end of a series of randomly generated levels, killing enemies, collecting <a href="/title/treasure">treasure</a> and saving damsels in distress. Your character can jump, use his <a href="/title/whip">whip</a> and carry a single item, such as rocks or guns, and use ropes or bombs to climb or blast his way through levels. What makes the game really interesting is the interactions of the various items you can find. At it's simplest, this can include things like picking up and throwing nearby rocks to kill enemies, but it rapidly&hellip;Running the Reality Checkpoint: a Sun-dappled Nodermeet in Cambridge (event)http://everything2.com/user/BaronWR/writeups/Running+the+Reality+Checkpoint%253A+a+Sun-dappled+Nodermeet+in+CambridgeBaronWRhttp://everything2.com/user/BaronWR2008-05-04T00:35:34Z2008-05-04T00:35:34Z<p align="center">Five years in the <a href="/title/yes%252C+that%2527s+actually+true">noding</a>, I present:</p>
<p align="center"><strong><big><big><big><big>A <a href="/title/Cambridge">Cambridge</a> Nodermeet</big></big></big></big></strong></p>
<p align="center"><strong><big><big><big>21st June 2008</big></big></big></strong></p>
<p align="center"><strong><big><big>Picnicing, punting and pubbing in the ivory towers</big></big></strong></p>
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<hr>
<p><strong>The place</strong></p>
<p>Cambridge is best known for its <a href="/title/Cambridge+University">university</a> (founded in 1209 by scholars fleeing from rival <a href="/title/Oxford">Oxford</a>), which has produced any number of eminent figures, and important discoveries. It's also one of the prettiest towns in <a href="/title/England">England</a>, and one of the nicest places to spend a summer's day.
It's also been my home for the last four years. Sadly, I'm shortly moving to the <a href="/title/London">Big Smoke</a>, but before I left I thought I'd invite all you noders over for a chilled-out weekend indulging in a few typically Cambridge pursuits.
<p><strong>The plan</strong>&hellip;Taj Mahal (place)http://everything2.com/user/BaronWR/writeups/Taj+MahalBaronWRhttp://everything2.com/user/BaronWR2003-06-20T09:16:07Z2003-06-20T09:16:07Z<p><strong>History</strong></p>
<p>The Taj Mahal was built by <a href="/title/Shah+Jahan">Shah Jahan</a> between in the 17th century (There seems to be dispute as to exactly when)
for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal at the height of the <a href="/title/Mughal+Empire">Mughal Empire</a>. Its name means "<a href="/title/crown">crown</a> palace". Shah Jahan was then deposed by his son, <a href="/title/Aurangzeb">Aurangzeb</a> and imprisoned in the Red Fort at <a href="/title/Agra">Agra</a>. He is now buried in the Taj Mahal alongside his wife. Several myths exist about the Taj, including:
<ul><li>As well as the white Taj, Shah Jahan planned to build a black Taj for himself on the other side of the river, joined by a <a href="/title/silver">silver</a> or interlaced black and white marble bridge (depending on which version you hear). This may be true, and is certainly made more believable by the presence of the start of some constructions on the other side of the river.</li>
<li>When the Taj was complete, the workmen refused to take the scaffolding away, so Jahan announced that the scaffolding was free to take to the citizens of Agra. The scaffolding went within a day.</li></ul>&hellip;